Weather Woes

Why hello,

We kept hearing from people that Tuesday was going to be super cold, but I don't think anyone telling us about it could've braced us for it. Tuesday we went on exchanges and I went down to Vineland for the day. But before we left, in the morning we tried stopping by a few people and after being outside for a minute, I couldn't feel my face at all. At lunch time I put on all the thermals and layers I could find and we went to Walmart so Sister Wright could pick up thermals.

I went down to Vineland with Sister Watson (who is fantastic!) and we had a couple appointments that evening. At one point we were trying to find an address that doesn't actually exist. We walked four blocks and the cold was excruciating. The wind was so bitter! We took refuge in a Dry Cleaners and we talked to a woman there for quite some time. It was definitely no coincidence, because her husband recently had a quadruple bypass and she was looking for guidance and a church to go to. Sister Watson was able to leave the woman with their (Vineland's) number and they hope to see her again soon.

We then had a dinner with a really awesome woman, Jackie, who has a young kitten that I played with. The cat sits on your shoulders like a parrot and jumps from people shoulder-to-shoulder. IT WAS SO CUTE.

I also had the privilege of meeting Bobby. The Sisters found him just six weeks ago, and at that time he considered himself atheist. After their first meeting with him, he said something along the lines of, "You know, I think this might be true." Well, he was baptized yesterday! It was neat meeting him, because his testimony is so strong and he is just super amazing. Plus, he totally has a flat top hair cut and he wants to do graphic design. Talk about cool.

We heard from someone that with wind chill it was -14 degrees (keep in mind the humidity...) and that it was the coldest day in decades.


On Sunday we went to the viewing of a 6-year-old that was tragically hit and killed by a bus earlier in the week. He was the grandson of a ward member, so we went down to talk to and comfort her. While we were waiting in line, I just kept thinking about the Plan of Salvation and how perfect it is. In the scriptures we learn that death is not the end of all things:

"11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
 12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow." (Alma 40:11-12)

We also learn that children are perfect before the age of accountability, (which is eight years old):

"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin;..." (Moroni 8:8)

Then we learn that if they die before the age of accountability, they are taken directly up to Heavenly Father:

"And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven."(D&C 137:10)

I love Heavenly Father's plan. Although the death of this little boy was tragic and premature, he is in the Celestial Kingdom and he is perfect. How wonderful it is that not one soul is lost to our Father! He loves each of us, and He's given us the knowledge of His plan, which gives us hope. I can testify that the Plan of Salvation is real, and that it is centered in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Sister Singleton

PS.. 

Yesterday night we were leaving an appointment and Sister Wright checked the phone. She went silent and just stared at the phone, but she looked excited. I had walked past her without noticing, then I turned around.

"What??"

*silent excitement*

"What??!"

"It's Logan!"

So I looked at the phone and it said..... wait for it..... that he wanted to serve a mission!!! We both freaked out and immediately called him. It was AWESOME. I've never seen such amazing progress in anyone, and I'm super excited. It was almost heartbreaking to tell him that he had to wait a year (you have to wait a year after baptism to go through the temple, and you have to go through the temple if you want to be a missionary).